Re: [tied] Re: Latin c- > Romance g-, any explanation?

At 10:11:26 AM on Thursday, January 15, 2004, Marco Moretti
wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Joao" <josimo70@...>
> wrote:

>> Is there any explanation for the trend *c->g- present in
>> some Romance words?

>> 1- Latin cattus > Romance *gattu > Portuguese gato
>> 2- Latin crupta (<crypta) > *grupta > Portuguese gruta
>> 3- Latina crassa > *grassa > Portuguese graxa

> Something similar is found extensively in Romance
> languages and also in Italian:

> Latin /cattus/ > Italian /gatto/
> Latin /crassus/ > Italian /grasso/
> Latin /crupta/ > Italian /grotta/
> Latin /cavea/ > Italian /gabbia/

I have seen this explained as a sandhi effect.

Brian